Chicken decoy used to nab distracted drivers

Why did the chicken cross the road? To nab distracted drivers, at least in Southern California.

A member of the Lake Elsinore Police Department dressed up as a chicken Thursday as part of a crackdown aimed at drivers who don't yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, according to the Lake Elsinore Patch.

The "chicken" crossed the road using crosswalks at five different locations as other officers watched from nearby.

In total, police cited 31 drivers for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and another for speeding, according to a press release on the department website.

"Even though the decoy was wearing a bright yellow costume, most drivers stated they did not see him crossing the road," police Sgt. Peter Giannakakos said.

The crackdown was widely publicized, with local drivers being warned about the "sting" ahead of time.

According to Patch, distracted and speeding drivers have been a problem near local schools.

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